Music Pick: Bell Labs

Amos Lee came out of the Norah Jones camp—his self-titled début was produced by Lee Alexander, Jones’s bassist, and Jones appeared on a handful of songs. His second and third records, “Supply and Demand” and “Last Days at the Lodge,” dipped in popularity, but Lee’s strong fourth album, “Mission Bell,” should return his folk-soul sound to prominence. For starters, the record features several high-profile guests, including Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, and Calexico, whose Joey Burns produced Lee’s record and lends it a consistent (and consistently interesting) sound. Lee’s smooth vocals still recall early-seventies singers like James Taylor and Bill Withers, but his new songs (especially “Windows Are Rolled Down” and “Stay With Me”) let in a little more darkness than their polished surfaces suggest.

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